Hercule Poirot Books in Order: 2 Ways to Read

By Anna Marie CarrollMystery

Hercule Poirot is one of the most famous and iconic detectives in history. First introduced to readers in 1920, more than one hundred years later his legacy lives on through numerous mediums. If you’re looking to read the Hercule Poirot books in order for the first time, or find which mysteries you’ve yet to read, this will be your ultimate guide to the cases of Hercule Poirot.

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Hercule Poirot Books in Order of Publication

The first way to read the Hercule Poirot books in order is the recommended reading order if you have never read these popular detective mysteries by Agatha Christie before. While it is true that each book contains a standalone murder mystery, there are subtle references to previous cases and characters throughout the series which makes reading the books in order a delight.

Hercule Poirot Books by Agatha Christie

The very first Hercule Poirot book is The Mysterious Affair at Styles and this is where your Poirot reading journey should absolutely begin. This book will introduce the Belgian detective through the eyes of Captain Hastings, which will provide you with a thorough summary of his character and attributes.

The other titles on this list were all written by Agatha Christie and are where you should begin to learn of the legacy she created, all thanks to a sisterly bet.

  1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)    
  2. The Murder on the Links (1923)  
  3. Poirot Investigates (1924) (Short Story)   
  4. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)      
  5. The Big Four (1927)    
  6. The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
  7. Black Coffee (1930) (Originally a play)
  8. Peril at End House (1932)     
  9. Lord Edgware Dies (1933)    
  10. Murder on the Orient Express (1934)      
  11. Three Act Tragedy (1934)    
  12. Death in the Clouds (1935)   
  13. The A.B.C. Murders (1936)   
  14. Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)      
  15. Cards on the Table (1936)    
  16. Dumb Witness (1937)  
  17. Death on the Nile (1937)     
  18. Appointment with Death (1938)    
  19. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938)  
  20. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940) 
  21. Sad Cypress (1940)     
  22. Evil Under the Sun (1941)    
  23. Five Little Pigs (1942)  
  24. The Hollow (1946)   
  25. Taken at the Flood (1948)    
  26. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (1952)  
  27. After the Funeral (1953)      
  28. Hickory Dickory Dock (1955) 
  29. Dead Man’s Folly (1956)       
  30. Cat Among the Pigeons (1959) 
  31. The Clocks (1963)       
  32. Third Girl (1966) 
  33. Hallowe’en Party (1969)       
  34. Elephants Can Remember (1972)
  35. Curtain (1975)

Hercule Poirot Books by Sophie Hannah

The next Hercule Poirot books in order are those written by Sophie Hannah. These chronologically take place before Agatha Christie’s final Poirot book, Curtain, and are officially canon with the approval of Agatha Christie’s estate. However, you should read Christie’s original mysteries before reading these new contributions.

  1. The Monogram Murders (2014)
  2. Closed Casket (2016)
  3. The Mystery of Three Quarters (2018)
  4. The Killings at Kingfisher Hill (2020)
  5. Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night (2023)
  6. The Last Death of the Year (October 28, 2025)

Hercule Poirot Collections

In addition to the above titles, there are more Hercule Poirot reads to add to your collection and tick off your reading list. Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly is a novella, which was later expanded into Dead Man’s Folly; the original version was published for the first time in 2013.

The other titles are all short story collections that have been published throughout the years and feature the writing of Agatha Christie. There may be overlap with some of the stories in the below collections, but this is a comprehensive list of the editions which have been published.

  1. Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot (1937)
  2. The Labors of Hercules (1947)
  3. The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951)
  4. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)
  5. Double Sin and Other Stories (1961)      
  6. The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot (1974)
  7. The Casebook of Hercule Poirot (1984)
  8. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories (1997)
  9. While the Light Lasts and Other Stories (1997)
  10. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (2013)
  11. Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly (2013)
  12. The Grey Cells of Mr. Poirot (2020)

Hercule Poirot Books in Chronological Order

But the second way to read the Hercule Poirot books in order is in chronological order. It is important to note that the Sophie Hannah additions are not on the below list of chronology.

That is because the below list is the official chronological timeline from the Agatha Christie website. Therefore, it does not include Hannah’s contributions.

This list does include short story collections.

While this may not be the best way to read the Hercule Poirot books in order if you are a first-time reader to these mysteries, this is a fun and informative list for super-fans. This order lists all of Poirot’s cases in chronology so you can line-up his movements relative to his life, and also understand Christie’s subtle references to previous cases.

  1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
  2. The Murder on the Links
  3. While the Light Lasts (UK Short Story Collection)
  4. The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection)
  5. Poirot Investigates (Short Story Collection)
  6. Poirot’s Early Cases (Short Story Collection)
  7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
  8. The Big Four
  9. The Mystery of the Blue Train
  10. Peril at End House
  11. Lord Edgware Dies
  12. Murder on the Orient Express
  13. Three Act Tragedy
  14. Death in the Clouds
  15. Poirot and the Regatta Mystery
  16. The ABC Murders
  17. Murder in Mesopotamia
  18. Cards on the Table
  19. Problem at Pollensa Bay (UK Short Story Collection)
  20. The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection)
  21. Murder in the Mews (Short Story Collection)
  22. Dumb Witness
  23. Death on the Nile
  24. Appointment with Death
  25. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
  26. Sad Cypress
  27. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
  28. Evil Under the Sun
  29. Five Little Pigs
  30. The Hollow
  31. The Labours of Hercules (Short Story Collection)
  32. Taken at the Flood
  33. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
  34. After the Funeral
  35. Hickory Dickory Dock
  36. Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly
  37. Dead Man’s Folly
  38. Cat Among the Pigeons
  39. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (UK Short Story Collection)
  40. Double Sin and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection)
  41. The Under Dog and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection)
  42. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection)
  43. The Clocks
  44. Third Girl
  45. Hallowe’en Party
  46. Elephants Can Remember
  47. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case

About Hercule Poirot

While he is small in stature at only 5’4”, what Hercule Poirot lacks in height he makes up for in the grandeur of his mind. His little grey cells, as he refers to them, have a particular way of sifting through details to solve murder mysteries that have held readers captive for decades.

The high regard he holds for intellectual analysis has made him a fan favorite among the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

But almost as iconic as the detective himself is his moustache, which is described in full detail multiple times throughout the course of the series. Poirot stars in 33 original novels by author Agatha Christie and more than 50 short stories. However, the little detective with enormous moustaches has also been immortalized many times in radio adaptations, TV shows, movies, and plays.

Overall, 35 actors have portrayed Hercule Poirot. The first was Charles Laughton in a 1928 stage production of Alibi, which is an adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. But most recently is Kenneth Branagh in the 2020 movie Death on the Nile, picking up the helm again following his portrayal in the 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express.

Others who have slipped into the shoes of the formidable detective include Orson Welles, Peter Sallis, and David Suchet. With such a legacy Poirot truly is a character who has leapt from the pages following his first introduction.

Therefore, it is no surprise that preceding the publication of his last case, Hercule Poirot had an obituary on the front page of the New York Times; he is the only fictional character to receive such honors. Just like Sherlock Holmes before him, the world mourned his loss. However, also like Holmes, that was not the end to the Belgian detective.

Looking for similar books in order?

If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.

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